Our experience with mitral valve repair using an autologous pericardium for recurrent mitral regurgitation

Objective: To present outcomes of mitral valve reinterventions for recurrent degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Materials and methods: From May 2017 to February 2021 3 male patients aged 43, 50, and 54 years and an 18-year-old female patient underwent mitral valve reinterventions with an autopericardial strip at Scientific Research Institute – Specialized Cardiac Surgery Clinical Hospital named after Academician B.A. Korolev. Three patients had primary mitral valve annuloplasty using a support ring and 1 patient using an autopericardial strip. In this patient group recurrent mitral regurgitation developed within 6-33 months between the primary repair and reintervention (20 ± 13.5 months on average).

Results: No hospital mortality was reported. Cardiopulmonary bypass duration averaged 109.8 ± 19.7 minutes, and myocardial ischemia lasted 77.5 ± 10.1 minutes. Two patients had an adjunctive repeat radiofrequency Maze procedure, with the supraventricular rhythm restored in 1 patient. Echocardiography demonstrated that mitral regurgitation did not exceed grade 1 at discharge. Reintervention using an autopericardial strip for recurrent mitral regurgitation significantly reduces sizes of the left atrium and left ventricle. Ejection fraction did not change after the intervention. Mitral valve peak gradient in all cases did not exceed 9 mm Hg.

Conclusions: The key to a successful mitral valve reintervention is a qualitative analysis of the recurrence causes and use of various techniques and materials for intervention on the mitral valvular complex. Mitral valve reinterventions, especially in young patients, are justified if certain safety conditions are met and have similar outcomes to primary interventions.

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